Snapshots
by gummybear1620
Summary: A series of unrelated oneshots with different pairings. NaruHina, NaruSaku, ShikaIno. Complete for now.
1. NaruHina: Protector

**A/N: **Welcome to my new project… This is nothing more than a series of one-shots that are completely unrelated, to tell the truth. It will contain the main cliché het pairings, (SasuSaku, NaruSaku, ShikaIno, ShikaTem, LeeSaku, and NaruHina, which is the pairing of this first one-shot). I'm not saying I vote for any of them or I hate them, it's merely an exercise for my writing spirit, as I will attempt to write each one in a different way and form. If you enjoy them, then feel free to read away ^^

Summaries and main characters are subject to change.

**Dedicated to: **Oblivion's Demon, because she helped beta it and came up with this idea all on her own… Thank you! *HUGS*

**Disclaimer: **I make no profit from Naruto.

* * *

><p><em><span>Protector<span>_

Being Hokage meant that Naruto had several duties.

One was all the paperwork and official documents he had to wade through daily, cursing it the whole time. Another was supervising the village and settling skirmishes or creating truces; the more political side of being leader. A third was going around the village, greeting the small children and older shopkeepers who'd finally learned to accept him for who he was.

Yes, Naruto loved being Hokage. However, there was one thing he missed: missions.

Sure, he could still give himself missions whenever he pleased, but he was well aware that going out on a more dangerous mission was not beneficial to Konoha—_he _knew he would return, but the worry would drive the village sick.

In that way, Naruto was forced to watch from the side as countless shinobi teams gave him reports and more, including his own personal guard, the ANBU.

Naruto was allowed the special privilege of picking his own ANBU and even giving them specific missions. After all, their purpose was to protect him, so he had to give them missions accordingly. Sometimes, though, the ANBU captains he selected would choose individuals to become ANBU without his recognition; of course, those who did were highly respected by him and had his full trust (such as Hyuuga Neji or Inuzuka Kiba) so he allowed them to do so without thinking of any resulting consequences.

That was the greatest mistake he could have made—and he would never have taken it back.

* * *

><p>Naruto first saw her at a debriefing for the ANBU newbies.<p>

It wasn't much of a glimpse. In fact, he hadn't even really been paying attention during the whole 'I'm-explaining-the-rules-so-you-better-listen-or-else-you'll-get-yourself-killed-okay-newbies?' speech Neji was currently giving. It was the same thing anyway, Naruto thought as he stared off into space, wondering if he could coerce old man Teuchi into giving him some free ramen again.

"…-sama? Naruto!" Neji's hiss finally woke him from his stupor as he jerked his head up, blinking a few times. The Hyuuga's countenance was mildly angry as he made a small motion toward the waiting crowd of ANBU newbies, all with masks in place and katanas strapped to their backs. Oh, so it was _that _time again. The first mission.

"This first mission is no different from any other you've been on as jounin," Naruto began, going through the well-rehearsed speech in his mind. His eyes scanned the endless sea of brown and blacks, with the occasional starkly bright yellow or strange gray-white sticking out among the other hair colors. "It's nothing to be afraid of. You have your team, and this is where teamwork is vital. To save your mission is condoned more than looking out for your teammates, because in the end, you want to have a team for the next mission, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the sea of newbies shouted. Some sounded scared, some foolishly confident, some neutral. Completely normal.

Naruto dismissed them casually, watching as they thundered through the door in their haste to find their team assignments and missions. Neji stood next to him stoically, arms crossed as they observed the last stragglers disappearing through the entryway.

He was sighing and beginning to get ready to exit himself when he saw her.

She was lingering near the door, white mask placed pristinely over her face. She seemed to be looking in his direction, but as Naruto turned his head toward her, she flinched in a miniscule motion and flew through the door, long violet-indigo hair fanning behind her.

"She's an odd one," Naruto couldn't help muttering, just as he couldn't help feeling a thrill of intrigue tingle through his mind.

Neji gave him a strange look. "That woman was…"

But Naruto had already forgotten about her (for now) and was swinging through the door too, arms behind his head as he called cheerfully behind, "Going to Ichiraku's! Find me if you need me!"

Neji could only sigh.

* * *

><p>One of Naruto's best buddies and most trusted comrades was Kiba from Team 8.<p>

He hung out with him every day, if not in the Hokage Tower then in some obscure restaurant where they constantly plotted out new pranks to baffle Sakura, his assistant, and the other uptight people they liked to torture. Just because he was Hokage and had a new sense of dignity didn't mean he couldn't resort to his childhood antics; old habits were hard to break, after all.

And since he hung out with Kiba every day, he consequently hung out with Shino and Hinata, though not necessarily in that order. In fact, Shino was even darker and more mysterious than before, flitting around the village and appearing in the most random of all places—yes, Naruto preferred Hinata's company, though the girl was a little soft-spoken around him. She had learned to be more confident, though, through the years, and had lost her stutter.

Today was one such day where Naruto found himself in the company of Kiba, Akamaru, and Hinata. That was, until Kiba suddenly had to leave.

"Sorry, man," Kiba said apologetically as he shrugged one shoulder. Akamaru was already standing and panting, wagging his tail so furiously it made a white blur through the air. He waved once and then they were gone, leaving a slightly stunned Hinata and Naruto alone on the grassy, soft hill.

Naruto was the first to break the silence, laughing a little awkwardly to fill the air. "So, how've the missions been lately?"

Hinata stared at him with wide eyes, something questioning and unreadable in her milky white eyes. They were like pearls, Naruto discovered, with a faint tinge of lavender to them, ringed by thick dark lashes. They drew him in, enticing him—

"Naruto-kun?"

He blinked, snapping himself out of his semi-lucid trance and blushing for an inexplicable reason at being caught staring. "Oh, sorry, Hinata! Just thinking about some…Hokage things I have to finish up," he blathered, tipping his head and smiling widely. Hinata's porcelain cheeks flushed a light pink as she hastily stood, those pearly eyes snapping toward the Hokage monument for a brief second before flashing back, looking embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, but I have to go," she said in a rush. Hinata looked positively antsy as she fidgeted around, as if waiting for him to dismiss her.

Naruto stood too, wondering what the strange feeling nestling inside his heart was as he nodded casually to the pale-skinned girl. She hesitated briefly once more, afternoon sun streaking across her skin and highlighting her hair with a halo-like glow before nodding firmly and vanishing.

As he made his slow way down the hill, Naruto couldn't help but reflect on the suddenly, strangely beautiful girl again and again.

_Hyuuga Hinata, huh?_

* * *

><p>It was another slow day, but not for long.<p>

He sat, bored and beginning to feel the pangs of hunger assault his stomach, waiting for someone to come in the building and relieve him of this terrible infliction, at least until his lunch break. "Anyone…" Naruto moaned, dropping his head down on his arm.

Almost like it had answered his unspoken prayers, three gentle knocks sounded on the wooden door directly in front of him. He straightened instantly, smiling and yelling, "Come in!" Finally, something intriguing, even if it was just another ANBU report.

The first man filed in, papers clutched in his hands. He dropped them on Naruto's desk before the second member, a woman—_the _woman—made herself known, approaching with cautious strides to stand next to her teammate. The man took off his mask laxly, showing his face to Naruto as he gave a summary that the Hokage couldn't even pretend to listen to—instead, he found himself continuing to gaze at the long-haired woman who seemingly deliberately had turned her head away from him, staring out the window with her mask still on, an oddity on its own.

"…encountered hardly any adversaries, Hokage-sama. Missing-nins were easy to dispatch, as they didn't put up much of a fight..."

Her mask was delicate in the soft lighting, making the swirling blue lines stand out even more against the pristine whiteness that reminded him of snow. Her skin was only a shade darker than the mask, creating the image of an angel of death…if not for her mask. Naruto could honestly say he didn't remember seeing any masks like this before; dogs, cats, birds, yes. But never this; this, what could only be described as a _wolf. _Fierce lines but a gentle body.

"…Kiri ninjas, easily dispatched. And then we came directly back, sir, without further trouble," the man said briskly, finishing his report as he failed to notice that his superior's attention had not been directed to him in the slightest throughout those three long minutes.

"Thank you," Naruto said, waving his hand. "Dismissed."

The man disappeared in a cloud of smoke. It was then the woman chose to turn her head, staring at him with a strange sense of purpose, like she could see through his secrets—like she found them utterly _captivating. _

A wolf, Naruto marveled as she too teleported away. The brilliant red streak of blood on her mask's cheek could have belonged to no other.

_Who is this to hold so much power over me?_

* * *

><p>Hinata was there more frequently now.<p>

He would be walking with Kiba and she would show up from around the corner, choosing to walk with them instead of visiting her father. Sometimes he would be leaving his apartment only to find her dashing around the corner; when he called out to her, she would stop and bashfully smile _(that wonderful, wonderful smile)_ and accept his invitation to go eat ramen. Once in a while, she would even run up to him while he was making his rounds about the village and walk boldly by his side.

Naruto learned that Hinata wasn't quite as timid as she once seemed.

As if triggered by some sort of event, Hinata had begun talking more and more, maybe softly, but still conversing with him nonetheless.

He learned she didn't have a favorite color but she liked bright and dark colors the same. She didn't hate her sister, but loved her, just like how she loved Neji and her father _(Hinata never could bear hate in her heart)_; in the end, some shinobi were just born stronger than others. She enjoyed little kids and being around them. She liked eating in the sunset. She liked helping others who had a similar background to her own. She liked…she liked…

And yet, while Naruto began to learn more about Hinata, she never revealed what went on in her ninja life. He didn't know what sort of missions she went on or how dangerous they were. The only clue that she sometimes unconsciously threw him was when she would hurriedly ask the time before departing, signaling she was supposed to meet with her team within minutes.

Naruto didn't think too much about it, though. He just liked spending time with the pale-skinned girl, and he knew she liked it too.

Secrets were a burden and easily ignored.

* * *

><p>"Hey man," Kiba greeted as he shrugged into his standard outfit for ANBU duty. Naruto nodded back at him amiably, pretending not to search the meeting room for a now-familiar head of inky hair. He only came to talk to Kiba—didn't he?<p>

"Did you need something? I need to go soon." Kiba glanced at him, waiting, his mask clutched in between gloved hands. Appropriately it was in the shape of a dog.

Naruto opened his mouth, purely intending to do nothing else but ask if he was free to join the others at the restaurant later that evening…that wasn't what came out. "Do... doyouknow what team she's on?"

Kiba gave him a confused look, running a hand through his messy hair before grumbling, "You need to speak up, and that's something I usually never say, Naruto. Is something wrong?"

"No," Naruto answered, hating himself for blurting that out. Why was it bugging him so much? He opened his mouth again _(I will I will Iwillwillwill not ask that) _and the same question came out, much to his frustration. Even his own brain was rebelling against him! "Just—that girl. The one with the long hair? What team is she on? No, what captain is she under?"

His friend sighed, leaning against the wall exasperatedly. "Okay, you're serious then. Let me start: _what girl? _There's a ton of them with long hair, if you haven't noticed." Kiba waved his arms around, looking kind of idiotic (at least to Naruto). But since he was helping him, Naruto couldn't really say anything derogatory toward his friend.

"The one with the wolf mask," he said, resigned to the fact that his mind was retaliating against his body. "You know, pale skin, dark hair." _Utterly captivating._

"_Her_? You mean Hin—"

"Kiba. You need to go to the mission room, now." Neji suddenly appeared behind the captain, startling the man into releasing a loud curse that had everyone staring. Blushing, Kiba shot a glare at the oblivious man before poofing away, an apologetic 'sorry' hanging behind him in the air.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of disappointment. "Come on, Neji! You couldn't have let him finish his sentence?"

"Was it so important?" Neji asked, raising an eyebrow before slipping his own mask on his face. "What was it about then?"

He hesitated before shaking his head and turning away. "Sorry I bothered you, it was nothing." _Nothing other than learning about _her_._

He was almost out the door before Neji called, "She's under one of my lieutenants, if you really wanted to know that badly."

Naruto couldn't stop the smile from spreading involuntarily across his face.

* * *

><p>It was another hot, humid, lingering summer day—perfect for evening fireworks, but terrible for doing the standard Hokage duty.<p>

He was doling out missions off-handedly, yawning in the heat that threatened to make him fall asleep at the table. Naruto honestly couldn't count how many teams had come before him, ANBU and jounin and chunin and beginner gennins. It was all just so _dull._

Speed up, he pleaded, staring at the clock across the room. Please…so this can all be over…

The door racked open, a new ANBU team standing in its place.

Naruto sat up so fast he could feel the vibrations tingling down his spine. It was her team—her! The one with the wolf mask. He noticed absent-mindedly that the red streak was gone from the wood, probably carefully brushed over with paint. It was hard to wash off blood, from one's conscience and objects alike.

"Hokage-sama," the man in front was saying, nodding respectfully. Naruto nodded back, none of his inner tumultuous conflicts showing on his face as he riffled through scrolls, stalling for unknown reasons. His eyes flickered back to her wolf mask only to look harshly back down as he saw her staring at him, probably wondering why he was taking so long. He finally pulled out one at random from the 'S' ranked pile, tossing it to the man in front.

"Be careful," Naruto yelled as they exited, not looking behind.

_Why does she hold so much power over me? No…_

_Why do I feel like this?_

_What _is _this?_

* * *

><p>"What attracts you to her?"<p>

"Hm…I don't know."

"I can't help you then." There was a lazy sigh before the crunching of fabric as someone sat up.

"Wait! Shikamaru…"

"Don't look at me with that face, jeez. You're not a kid anymore, grow up."

"I don't know why I feel like this though," Naruto complained, staring up at the azure sky. "Why do I want to know everything about her? Why do I want to see her face? Why do I want to touch her? Why do I want to _talk _to her? Why do I want to see her, to fight her, to know everything about her? Why do I—"

—_feel this way about two different people?_

"Ahh, you ask too many questions," Shikamaru moaned as he fell backwards onto the grass, closing his eyes lazily. "Just like Ino. Besides, who's the woman?"

Naruto's eye twitched. "Did you just compare me to…_Ino?_!"

"…what if I did?"

"You know, just for that, I'm not gonna tell you!"

The man watched indolently as his leader stalked angrily away, smiling slightly. It didn't matter if Naruto didn't tell him about the 'two' women in his lives—Shikamaru already knew who she was.

* * *

><p>"It's a beautiful sunset…"<p>

Naruto smiled as he felt Hinata's familiar chakra—quiet, docile almost, but with an explosive hidden edge—buzz faintly into existence behind him. If he hadn't been Hokage and familiar with these suspiciously faint signatures that all higher-level ninjas carried around them (in comparison to the chunin, who blatantly let their chakras flare) he would have been startled.

_When did she learn to do this? _He wondered faintly before answering, "What brings you here, Hinata?"

"I just wanted your company." There was a faint movement behind him before she sat down on the stone Hokage's head next to him, head tilted back and eyes half-closed. Her hair flew back softly in the wind, dark and reminding him of a very similar shade and length of a certain other ANBU-masked woman… "I've been so busy lately." And then the thought disappeared.

"Me too," Naruto answered, sneaking a look at Hinata. His heart skipped once before he directed his gaze forward again, pressing his lips together. They sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes longer before Hinata stood.

"My father needs me," she said in response to his questioning gaze as he lithely stood too. She turned her head to him, smiling once before saying a farewell that barely reached Naruto's ears before disappearing in a wisp of smoke.

However, the image of her face had already been imprinted into his mind—as well as the startling splash of dark crimson, just beginning to turn rust brown, on her cheek…right where the blood splotch on the ANBU woman's mask had been.

* * *

><p>Whenever Naruto got anxious, he made a plan. In order to make a plan, he had to consume many pounds of ramen in order to get his 'brain cells' thinking…or so he said.<p>

"Naruto, really," Iruka sighed as he watched his former student shovel another bowl into his mouth. "What's gotten into you this time? You don't normally eat so much—or so messily." He watched as another bowl was thrown precariously onto the already towering stack, soup splattered around on the counter.

"I'm just confused on what to do," Naruto explained after swallowing, signaling for another bowl with his right hand.

"For what?" The older man finally gave up on trying to get Naruto to eat less and concentrated on his own cooling ramen, still keeping one eye on his wayward blond pupil.

Naruto bit his lip, staring down into his reflection of the leftover broth in his latest bowl he'd quickly consumed. Should he tell Iruka—? He was his 'parental' figure, after all, maybe he would know something about these strange feelings he was having… Then again, he'd tried talking to Shikamaru, and look how that had turned out. Still—it was _Iruka, _the more logical side of him argued, and finally he caved.

"So…I was having, um…"

"Woman troubles?"

Naruto stared, wide-eyed, at Iruka, who merely had one elbow propped up on the counter and a casual expression. "W-what are you? Some mind reader?"

"No, Shikamaru just told me," Iruka said, smiling slightly at the blond's childish antics. "It seems like you've been struck by the greatest disease that plagues mankind."

"Really? Ne, what is it?" Naruto leaned forward eagerly, ramen forgotten.

"Love."

Iruka watched fondly as a myriad of expressions played across Naruto's face, ranging from blatant disbelief to open-mouthed-gaping and finally, to some semblance of acceptance. He watched as the young man chuckled to himself, shaking his head before slamming it against the counter quite abruptly. "Naruto!" the teacher cried, half-standing. This wasn't exactly the reaction he'd been going for.

"I'm okay, sensei," Naruto said as he shook his head again, grinning widely. "Only trying to clear my head up. But how can I be in love with two people at once? Which one do I love more? I can't be with both at the same time!" He switched from panic mode to exhilarated within seconds, exclaiming loudly and throwing his hands up dramatically into the air to emphasize his point. "Tell me, sensei!"

"You can't really call me sensei anymore, but what I _can _tell you is that love is an enigma. Sometimes you love two people or more, sometimes you find your soul mate. Maybe these two women are merely very alike in personalities and appearances, and that is what attracts you to both of them—the only way to really tell is to trust your own heart."

At Naruto's stupefied look, Iruka sighed, shortening his explanation as he picked up the forehead protector he'd taken off in order to eat. "You love one of them more, so in order to find out which one, you must devise a test. Any test."

"Really? Well why didn't you say so?" Naruto beamed, slapping some money onto the counter and ducking out of the stand, his excitement clear in his voice. "I'm off then, Iruka-sensei! Wish me luck!" And he was gone.

Iruka tied his forehead protector on absently, dipping his head slightly as he exhaled.

"You grew up so fast, Naruto…"

* * *

><p>Okay, so maybe this wasn't the smartest plan he'd ever had.<p>

Naruto gulped under Hyuuga Hiashi's unwavering stare, completely impenetrable and different from his daughter's meeker eyes. _Pleasedon'thurtme,_ he thought hurriedly in his head, hoping his happy expression was still glued firmly on his face. _I—I'm the Hokage! You can't hurt me, so stop looking at me like that… I only asked if…_

"She's not here," the head of the clan finally said, turning into the house. "She's probably on a mission somewhere."

"Mission?" Naruto asked, dumbfounded, as Hiashi began walking away.

"That's right."

"But… I was supposed to give her a mission!"

"Then it's too late, Hokage-sama. She's already gone."

Naruto stood there a full ten minutes after the civilian maid had kindly asked for his autograph before closing the door in his face (still softly and politely) declaring that his audience with Hyuuga Hiashi was now over, much to her earnest and sincere apologies.

Finally, he responded. "Wait a second! I'm the Hokage! You can't decide when to end it! Open up!"

Naruto's screams could be heard from the other side of Konoha.

* * *

><p>Two days.<p>

He propped his head on his hand, staring down at the small calendar on the corner of his wooden desk.

It had been two days (exactly) since Hinata's father had told him she was on a mission away somewhere. Two days since he'd sent out the indigo-haired ANBU woman. Both had yet to return, and while it proved Naruto's plan had worked without requiring extra effort, he was still unhappy.

"Naruto?" A soft rap sounded on the door before Sakura let herself in. She busily tidied the short stack of papers on his desk before replacing his old pens and giving him a cup of suspicious looking liquid, gathering the paperwork he had already signed for the day. "Are you daydreaming again?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I was just wondering about these two women I sent on a mission…"

"You mean the wolf-mask ANBU and Hinata?"

Naruto's hands flew up into the air. "I swear to God that one day, I will figure out how everyone can read my mind so blatantly! Do I wear my expressions on my sleeve or something?"

"It's '_I wear my heart on my sleeve,_' Naruto. There's no such thing as expressions on your sleeve." Sakura had an amused expression on her face as she settled against the side of his desk, short pink hair expertly pinned up in a neat bun. She had evidently been working late in the hospital again, as a faint antibiotic smell clung to her clothing. "And besides, I only know because I saw the papers declaring their departure. They left around the same time, it seems."

"Have they come back yet?" Naruto slammed his hands on his desk, standing up so eagerly his chair crashed to the ground with a loud _bang. _

"I haven't checked the guards, but I'm assuming no. Relax, they'll come back. They're worthy women, after all," Sakura said, a glint in her eyes. There was something mischievous about her, like she knew something she didn't—which was most of the time, so Naruto didn't bother much with her.

Instead, he whined, feeling worry claw at his heart. How could he have fallen in love so quickly and so harshly? "It was my plan to see which one I loved more," he explained, even though Sakura hadn't asked for an explanation. She waited though, infinitely patient. "I was thinking that whichever one came back first or with the most successful results, I would love them more—because shinobi need capable heirs to survive, not weak ninjas. But then…"

Sakura smiled before embracing her old friend, muttering, "You should know love isn't something to play around with, Naruto."

"But now, I know that whichever is hurt more, whichever can't stand without me, whichever makes my heart pound with fear and anger and _passion_, that is the person I will love more, without a doubt." Naruto closed his eyes. "That one will be the person _I _can't live without."

_Because all I ask of you is to come back safely…_

_Safely, to me._

* * *

><p>The sun and moon chased each other overhead as the clouds raced by and the stars watched coldly from the heavens. Days passed, and slowly, the heat of summer began ebbing into brisk autumn.<p>

Time trickled on, and fate continued winding its way sinuously around the people of Konoha.

He continued waiting for that inevitable day.

* * *

><p>"Emergency! Clear the way, please! Clear the path!"<p>

"Her heartbeat is slowing! Is the room prepared? Get Sakura-san! And the medic tools—"

"What's the condition of the rest of her squadron? Someone!"

"They suffer little to no serious injuries! She was the most injured out of all of them!"

"What about—"

"It's not time to banter! Quick! Let me start the healing process…"

Naruto blinked as he walked by the hospital, hearing the commotion inside. What was going on? Was it just another emergency patient in need of Sakura's healing abilities?

His intuition was whispering no—it was something very different.

He was in front of the emergency doors before he knew it, hands outstretched and ready to pull. Naruto hesitated for one brief instant, wondering if it would really be okay, if what met him would truly decide his life once and for all, and then his hands were yanking the doors open hastily as his breath automatically came quicker.

"…pass me this!"

"Get her in the room first, you incompetent fools—"

"Who are you calling—?"

"Don't fight, dammit! We have to save Hinata's life here!"

_Hinata. _

Naruto's eyes opened wide. So it was her—she was the one who had claimed his heart. She was the one who was currently making it beat so wildly in his chest, making it hammer so hard it felt like he was about to keel over in a heart attack. His eyes were locked on the gaggle of white-clad medics attempting to enter a room, surrounding a blood-stained body on a stretcher. Dark hair streamed off the sides in an oddly graceful manner, despite the contrasting pale hand streaked with blood dangling by her side. The medics parted briefly as someone with pink hair flashed into the room, and Naruto saw her face.

Her eyes were closed, mouth open in a soft gasp _(no doubt struggling for air, to breathe, to _live_—oh god, was this the aftermath of my cruel joke, laughing love off like it was nothing?) _as dark red painted lines around her face. It was almost artistic in a fascinating, bloody way; and then the medics had closed in again, ushering Hinata into the room without a second's hesitation.

He heard a clatter as his eyes slowly redirected themselves to the pale, foreign object lying on the ground.

Ignoring the secretary's faint "H-Hokage-sama!", he walked toward the wooden _thing _as if in a trance. Before his hand even touched the mask, he knew whose it was and why she had kept it from his knowledge.

_Hinata… is the same person as that woman?_

The ANBU mask was drenched in blood darker than Naruto's soul.

* * *

><p>"Hokage-sama…"<p>

"Is she awake yet?"

"Not yet, but maybe you should go and get some true rest? It's been three days already—"

"I'll wait."

* * *

><p>"Naruto!"<p>

He blinked, jolting awake from his uneasy sleep. His hair was matted to the side of his face and he was pretty sure there was drool on his mouth and bags under his eyes from sleeping on an uncomfortable surface for five consecutive days. Great.

"K-Kiba?" Naruto rubbed his eyes before yawning exaggeratedly.

His friend looked harried and frantic, twisting his hands. "Did you say something to Hinata about being an ANBU?"

He snapped to attention, blue eyes focusing on Kiba with a laser-like intensity, causing the other man to back away a little. "Why? What happened to Hinata? And speaking of that, why didn't you tell me she was an ANBU?"

"Um, because I tried but Neji kept interrupting! And it shouldn't bother you…" Kiba looked confused.

"If I knew she was an ANBU I would've—" Naruto's mouth closed with a _clack_ as he swallowed his words abruptly. _I would've—what? You know it's against the rules to forbid someone from going out on a dangerous mission just because they're dear to you; that's why they're ninja, to protect those dear to them. _

_You cannot ever afford to be selfish._

"Anyway," Kiba was saying (practically yelling), "you need to come, fast! Hinata's disappeared from her room. The only thing she left on her bed was a mask and a resignation letter for the ANBU that I won't accept!"

"What do you want me to do about it?" Although his voice was calm, he felt about as tranquil as a thunderstorm. It didn't help matters when Kiba smacked him in the head harshly.

"Idiot! _Find her!_"

* * *

><p><em>I like quiet places…<em>

He racked his brain. Where could she be? Quiet places? What had she said about that?

_They allow me to think calmly. Nighttime is especially relaxing, and… beautiful too._

Beautiful and relaxing—only a billion of those out there! Naruto sucked in his breath, wishing he could just remember what Hinata had said. Why couldn't he remember? Just this one tiny detail, he _forgot? _It was driving him insane as he slumped down next to Konoha's outer wall, head in hands. There was one particular place Hinata said she loved, somewhere they had been to once on a mission.

_Of course it's too far away now to visit, but I found a different place…closer to Konoha, so I can visit it more often… you can see it from here. Follow the sunset…_

Sunset? His eyes squinted as he stared up at the sky, noting the sun dipping toward the horizon. To follow it, he would have to go to the Hokage mountain, as that was where Hinata had been telling him about her favorite place—and from there—

_Water is nice too. It flows like liquid silver in the moonlight, and waterfalls especially help keep you focused as you train…_

"Waterfall! That was it! It was a waterfall!" Naruto jumped up, quickly teleporting to the second Hokage's head before narrowing his eyes against the weakening sunlight. If he followed in that direction, Hinata should be along the path somewhere.

It didn't matter how long it would take him to search for her.

Naruto would give up his life for Hinata a thousand times over, because she was risking hers already.

* * *

><p>She didn't seem surprised when he appeared, interrupting her quiet meditating. In fact, she seemed more resigned than anything.<p>

"Naruto."

"That's the first time you didn't add –kun at the end," he said, somewhat astonished. His hands were stuck casually in his pockets, the standard Hokage coat flapping behind him as he approached her. She remained sitting by the pool with water gently lapping at its banks while the soft roar of a waterfall could be heard over the smooth silence blanketing the clearing. Moonlight barely filtered past the dusky twilight clouds, and her expression was shrouded in shadows while her skin glowed a luminous white.

"I'm sorry." Her voice was as hushed as everything else in the silent forest, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. If you want to leave now, I won't find anything against you."

"Why would I want to leave, Hinata? I don't care that you didn't tell me! You were doing it for me, weren't you? For my sake?" Naruto reached his hands out toward her, glad she didn't flinch back. Instead, she sinuously stood, eyes finally rising to meet his passionate ones.

There were tears in those pearls, he discovered. Soft glowing drops that told volumes about her hardships and struggles, and he couldn't bring himself to hold such a worthless crime against her—Hinata, the one he loved, by mistake or by fate.

"I was just trying to protect you. Because you're always protecting me, I wanted to do something for you, and even if you didn't have to know about it, I would be able to guard you from afar! I was doing something worthwhile." She dropped her head forward, inky hair falling in thick sheets on either side of her face. Naruto tentatively brought a hand up to touch the strands, which slid silkily between his fingers. He was almost too captivated by Hinata to respond, but luckily her muffled, dry sob brought his attention back to her.

"Don't cry then, Hinata. If you truly believe you did something for me, you shouldn't be ashamed of it, because if even you are ashamed, then who will believe you? I admire your confidence, I admire your strength, and I admire that you _are_ my protector. My own guardian angel," Naruto finished, smiling in a somewhat cheesy way but feeling proud anyway. And then his last words bubbled through his lips: "That's why I love you."

Hinata looked up sharply, eyes widening. "Y-you…love me?"

Naruto just smiled softly. This was a woman who had risked life and death for him, who had _slaughtered _for his safety, who had somehow captured his heart.

He wouldn't regret it—ever.

"Naruto!" Hinata was in his arms, hugging him tightly around the chest. "I—I promise, I won't let you down again… because…"

"You don't need to say it. I'll be protecting you too, from now on. This will be something we both will carry, our mutual promise." He grinned, feeling light and ready to explode with some strange tingly feeling. Hinata looked the same, except a little dizzier. "My dear protector."

* * *

><p>The ending was very...sweet.<p>

Well, as you possibly have noticed, I'm trying to keep my author notes more mature and less rambly. XD but still, I hope you enjoyed this (extremely) long oneshot! Alert if you want to read more of the pairings I've listed above, otherwise, it's okay if it's just NaruHina that rocks your boat. Also, reviews are very much appreciated :)

Stay tuned… although there's no telling when the next one will appear, or which pairing it will be. Probably NaruSaku though. Thanks for reading!


	2. NaruSaku: Express

**A/N: **NaruSaku this time- and ha, I just realized this is my first time posting something AU that I wrote. I'm sorry it's considerably shorter than the previous oneshot, but that's just the way the plot wrote itself ^^' See if you can understand the formatting for this one-shot (it kinda skips around, time-wise) and if you can't, an explanation is at the bottom. Thank you for reviewing, if you did! Hope you all enjoy this one too!

**Disclaimer:** Naruto and co belong to Kishimoto Masashi, not this poor authoress right here.

**Unbeta'd, **please excuse the mistakes I've missed. On the other hand, if someone wants to beta...I'm open for offers :)

* * *

><p><em><span>Express<span>_

Love had literally struck Naruto hard in the face.

He remembered the day clearly—after all, how could he forget the day he fell in love with the strongest woman alive? It was love at first sight…or, more precisely, love at first hit. He smiled, recalling his lover's infuriated green eyes and pink lips pressed hard together. Seeing her standing with one hand on her hip, the other raised after slapping him, still sent shivers down his spine.

Sometimes, Naruto wondered if it was his good fortune to fall in love with such a woman. Either that or he was just extremely unlucky.

Still, there was nobody he loved more in the world, despite the pink-haired woman's frequent temper tantrums and the bruises he suffered. Yes, Haruno Sakura was someone unique, and specially so.

To think it had all started with one bright, humid, hot summer morning by the beach…

That, and a misplaced popsicle.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we're actually going to the beach this Saturday! I'm so excited!" The girl drummed her feet excitedly against the floor, hearts practically popping from her words into the air. Her long blonde ponytail swung pointedly behind her as she danced around.<p>

"Has it really been that long since you've had a vacation, Ino? Jeez," a lazy voice intruded from the figure lounging by the doorway.

The girl stopped for a moment to glare at her childhood friend. "It's not like everybody takes off each day like you do, Shikamaru-slacker!"

"Ah well, it doesn't really matter, does it?" Naruto placed himself between his two friends, grinning wildly. "It's gonna be an exciting, friend-filled vacation anyway! We'll be sure to have tons of fun!"

Both directed dubious looks toward him before turning and gathering their separate bags. Shikamaru yawned noisily, glancing at the open window. Pale light streamed in as a cool breeze wafted constantly through the room, thoroughly chilling them. With a shiver, Naruto closed the window, shaking his head as he checked to make sure he'd packed everything, from instant ramen to his bright orange swim trunks.

"Are we ready?" he asked enthusiastically.

"Ready!" came a mix of equally passionate and monotone responses.

Thirty minutes after they had packed the bags into the trunk of Naruto's car, they found themselves on a highway. "You're sure this is the right road, Ino?"

"Yes! Shikamaru double-checked just in case, and even though he's lazy, he's still a genius. Besides, we've got my handy GPS app right here." She waved her phone, causing Shikamaru to swat her hand away from his face before turning to slump against the window. Ino ignored him in favor of leaning forward, eyes bright. "So, Naruto, are we meeting the Hyuugas and Sasuke and Chouji there?"

"Yeah, I hope they don't get lost." Naruto snickered, thinking about how his best friend would react to know he was stuck chauffeuring Hinata and Neji, the two equally pale cousins, along with Chouji, who liked snacking on chips. Sasuke would probably have a fit if Chouji so much as spilled a crumb on his pristine leather seats. Rich bastard.

Ino hummed in response. After a while, Naruto turned on the music, and they traded words every once in a while when they could be bothered to respond. In the end, Shikamaru ended up sleeping the whole trip as Ino dozed off in the last hour; on the other hand, Naruto was too hyper to even think about calming down.

This trip hadn't been his idea originally. Lately, he had been working nonstop at his publishing company as work had gotten busier and busier, turning down offers to drink and party and just hang out with his friends. In the end, Ino and Neji had confronted him (separately, of course; neither particularly liked the other) and forced him to take a vacation—which, to Naruto, vacation was equivalent to a hot, sunny place such as the beach they were visiting, and so he happily agreed as soon as they assured him all expenses would be paid by someone other than him. As days passed and they grew closer to the vacation date, he became more and more excited for the trip until it accumulated all up to this point.

"WE'RE HERE!"

Shikamaru woke with a jolt as Naruto slammed the door of his car, stretching out his arms as if to embrace the heavens. Ino clambered out from the other side, breathing in the salty air with gusto. "I haven't smelled this in so long, it makes me nostalgic."

"Oh yeah, you used to live by the seaside," Naruto remembered, recalling a vague detail when Ino had told him about their family's flower shop by the ocean.

"That's right. Although, there's no time for being sad now!" Ino reached inside the car and tugged out a giant floppy hat while pulling on sandals and grabbing her oversized, checkered bag. "This here has all the essentials a girl needs to hit the beach. You two have to help me if you want to play."

Both men whined a bit before giving in (the force of a woman was really not to be reckoned with), trudging absently behind Ino, whose ponytail swung casually from side to side. Naruto perked up as they grew closer to the lapping waves, eyes scanning the already populated sand for the familiar figures of his friends. It didn't take long to find them; who else could those two giant umbrellas belong to, each decorated with their separate owner's clan symbol?

They found Chouji standing forlornly to the side, gazing at the cover he'd been forced out of. "The two of them said that since I didn't bring any shade, I wouldn't get cover," he complained.

"It's okay," Ino soothed him as she dug around in her massive bag. "Crap! I forgot the umbrella in the car. Shika, do you mind getting it?"

He gave her an incredulous look, as if asking '_you really want to know the answer?_', but Ino just smiled sweetly and with a huff, he trudged off again, leaving Naruto and Ino to stare contemplatively at the matching black umbrellas staked in the sand.

"It's almost like a tent…" Naruto said at last, reaching forward to knock against the tarp-like fabric of the umbrella decorated with a white and red fan. "A giant, sun-blocking tent. But now that I think about it, doesn't black absorb heat? Hey, Uchiha, you hear me? You're gonna become a giant tomato if you stay in there too long!"

A glowering face emerged from underneath the umbrella. "Do you think I care? It's better than the sunlight. Anything's better than the sun." Sasuke disappeared again, leaving Ino giggling slightly. Naruto sighed before moving on to the next one, knowing Neji was slightly more receptive than his best friend.

"Naruto-kun," Hinata's soft voice greeted him. She was sitting huddled against the umbrella's far side, but when he appeared, she crept out from under the shade without hesitation. "Ino-chan!"

"Aw, Hinata, have you been forced to put up with your cousin again? Oh, you know, you're a girl! Help me with the sunblock, would you? I don't want to get tan lines, the horror…" The two trailed off as they moved farther away, leaving Naruto to deal with the mild girl's crabbier cousin. He peered tentatively underneath, smiling when he saw Neji's lax, expressionless face.

"So…are you gonna come out or what? You're the one who made me go do this!"

"…I didn't know it would be so hot."

In the end, it seemed, both Hyuuga and Uchiha shared some similar characteristics.

* * *

><p>"Kyaa! Don't splash water on me," Ino giggled, darting away from Naruto. "When I agreed to come and play a little, I didn't mean for you to get me all wet! Now I'll have to reapply my sunblock."<p>

"I thought you used the waterproof one," Shikamaru muttered from his perch just out of reach of the waves. Neji had finally emerged from his man cave (or was it umbrella-cave?) and was sitting, somewhat unhappily, next to him. Sasuke had yet to appear.

"No, because I didn't know I would be getting wet!" Ino huffed, drawing her sunglasses down to cover her eyes again. She pushed her wet bangs out of her face, beckoning to Hinata, who had been picking up seashells farther down the shore. "Come on! We need to get some refreshments anyway."

Chouji perked up. "What about some chips?"

"Come with us if you want to get something!"

Naruto smiled as he watched his friends scramble back up the sandy hill toward the concession stands, sand sticking to their legs from the salty water. It had been a good idea to come after all, it seemed. He really had been working much too hard lately, and to have such a good chance to relax was priceless. He was dreading returning to his lonely home, because if he faced the truth—it really was lonely.

The reason he unconsciously worked so much was probably because there was no one at home waiting for him. He'd been alone most of his life, anyway, so he should've been used to it, but the thing was…Naruto was a social person. He liked spending time with his friends, he liked saying _'I'm home!' _even though there was nobody to reciprocate the gesture. Lately, that fact had been getting to him more so than before, especially since times like Valentine's Day and Christmas had gone by without a special someone. Yes, all Naruto really wanted was someone he could spend time with, someone who would be special to him, someone who loved him.

Was that too much to ask for?

He sighed, morose that he had started thinking about depressing things again. "Hey, guys, I'm gonna go and follow those three, okay?" He waved half-heartedly at Shikamaru, who was lying stretched out on the hot sand, and Neji, lazing in the sun like a contented cat.

"Hn, sure" and "…" were the replies he received, so Naruto took that as a yes, trekking up the hill himself.

"Hot, hot hothothot," he mumbled as he danced around, trying not to let his tender feet touch the ground more than necessary. "Why did I forget to put shoes on?" Naruto hissed as he finally reached the cooler wood of the boardwalk, seaweed and sand strewn everywhere on the wood from previous occupants. He lifted his foot gingerly, examining the red skin. "Ouch, that'll teach me next time…"

He continued mumbling to himself as he meandered up the rickety boardwalk, passing a couple of children playing beach volleyball and two old ladies sun-tanning quite far from the ocean. It was then he reached a fork in the road, as one path split off onto solid (hot concrete) ground, and the other continued with the boardwalk.

It was inevitable which path Naruto would pick, seeing his lack of shoe-ness and all.

"I hope they went this way," he whistled. He honestly hadn't paid attention to the concessions and snacks when he'd come in, so if they weren't here…he could just waste some time and then go back, claiming he'd gotten lost. It wasn't like anyone really waited for him back there.

_Stop thinking about that! _Naruto slapped himself, ignoring the look a young mother gave him as she herded her children carefully around the no doubt 'insane' man who hit himself in public. "I need to be more optimistic. Smile, Naruto! Smile! What will make me smile? Something cold, yes, and yummy. Like—"

It was as if God had been trying to answer his prayers. Naruto's questing eyes caught sight of the vending machine right away, and zeroed in on the large picture of the orange popsicle plastered to the front of the square machine. The machine was even under some shade (although it was next to the restrooms) and to top it all off, _it was still built on the boardwalk! _He could get delicious, icy sweets for barely any extra pain!

He should've known it was too good to be true.

Naruto had already made it to the machine and was eagerly scanning the choices—_"Should I pick Orange Dream, Pink Lemonade, Sherbet Horizon, Chocolate Drumstick, or just an ice cream sandwich?"_—when he reached for his pocket, where his wallet was usually kept…

And stopped short.

_My wallet! _

"No way," Naruto groaned as he felt around his pockets, or rather, the lack thereof. He'd forgotten that he'd changed into his swim trunks so he could splash in the ocean, and these particular swim trunks didn't have pockets! Besides, who would be stupid enough to put their wallet in their swim trunks, where it could get soaked easily? Not even Naruto would do that!

So basically, in his mind, it equated to this:

Swim trunks = no pockets = no wallet = no money = no popsicle of any kind for Naruto!

"I have terrible karma," he decided, dropping his head so it rested against the front of the machine. It did nothing to cool him off, and he sighed, scanning the nearby restrooms for the water fountains. Then something bright and shiny caught his eye.

It looked almost like a forgotten wallet, made of the glossy and glittery materials that were so popular these days. Naruto found himself walking toward it, interested despite himself. No, he was not going to steal it or any money inside it—Uzumaki Naruto had some codes of honor, at least! He would just turn it into the lost and found and perhaps get a cash reward from some grateful lady later.

But nope, it was anything but a wallet—and in his opinion, it was even better. His fingers picked up the slippery plastic carefully, wet with condensation from being left out in the heat for too long. At least it didn't seem melted yet! It wasn't even opened! This was clearly a godsend (never mind the fact that a second ago, he'd just decided that God hated him).

It was a popsicle.

"I wonder what flavor it is," he murmured, holding the treat almost reverently in his hands. Normally, Naruto wasn't _this _strange, but the combination of bad karma, dehydration, and loneliness had taken its toll. "It isn't opened, so it can't be poisoned, right? Maybe I could just take it? The owner isn't around anyway." He even looked around to be sure, eyes darting a little too furtively and suspiciously to be considered normal.

Naruto licked his lips, already imagining the tangy flavor hitting his tongue. Oh, how he did love popsicles. His fingers moved to the top of the small bag, ready to pull open the plastic when—

_WHAM!_

Something slammed into his jaw with the force of a eighteen-wheeler, knocking his head into the wall and causing him the drop the popsicle with fumbling fingers. He cursed, wheeling back around, ignoring the little stars and ramen cups swirling in his vision. Damn! Whoever had punched him hit freaking _hard_, as in a ten-ton-hammer hard. He gingerly probed his face, wincing when he felt the bruise that had already flowered on his skin.

"Who do you think you are?" a voice demanded from his right, momentarily confusing him. He expected his attacker to still be there, of course, but this voice was strangely feminine for a guy. So did that mean it was a girl…? He turned.

Yeah.

He'd just been sucker-punched by a _girl._

* * *

><p>"I'm so, so sorry!"<p>

Surprisingly, it wasn't the girl (Sakura) who was apologizing. Nope, instead it was her friend Kiba.

"I'm sure Sakura didn't mean to hit you that hard, right?" The brunet glared at the girl, who just turned away indignantly. "Thought so. By the way, what did you do to make her so riled up?"

"Well, you see, there was this popsicle lying around, and I just thought someone had left it, so I decided to take it because I was _really _hot, and …" Naruto trailed off, suddenly aware of how strange the story sounded.

"Permission is something nice," Sakura muttered as she shot a glare at him between narrowed green eyes. Naruto smiled back, hoping to soothe her temper (which, he had learned, was quite flammable and erupted with the force of ten volcanoes). "You don't _take _things by accident, you got it?"

"Understood," he said sharply. He might have saluted too if not for the giant ice pack currently glued to his sore jaw, courtesy of the pink-haired monster in woman's clothing. He didn't understand (for the life of him) how someone could punch so hard without any prior training, a fact happily announced after he had been brought back to their spot at the beach for medical treatment.

Still, despite the shocking blow she had delivered to him, there was still something attractive about this woman, something that drew him in irresistibly, something that made him want to know _more_—like why she punched so hard, why she was so defensive, why she wouldn't let others in despite her smiling green eyes. He wanted to know her.

Now, an important fact we must remember about Uzumaki Naruto is this: he was never one to hesitate when he wanted something, and certainly not when it came to women.

"Say, how about you go out with me? My treat?"

He was rewarded with another punch to the other side of his face.

Naruto took that as a yes.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you dragged me here," Sakura grumbled as she pulled her coat tighter around herself. Naruto smiled brightly at her side.<p>

"You don't like fancy restaurants? I was under the impression every girl did. At least the ones I've dated…"

"You know, you really aren't good at the whole 'convincing' thing," she muttered sourly as they made their way from Naruto's car to their reserved seats. He just smiled again, glad that his perseverance had paid off in the end.

It had taken many days of stalking/begging/threatening to finally get to this point. Throughout those many days, Naruto had ended up learning far more about Sakura than he would have had he just asked her straight out; such as the fact that she worked at a hospital, had abnormal shifts, was friends with a green-leprechaun-man named Lee, naturally had pink hair, and had never once in her life loved before.

Actually, the last was something Naruto inferred, because why else would she be so closed and defensive about everything? She was just afraid, and Naruto was determined to break her shell.

"I'm good enough to get you to go on a date with me, aren't I?"

"That's because you got too annoying to handle!" Sakura looked murderous, which Naruto figured wasn't such a good thing, considering the fact that it was only three minutes into their actual date.

"How many seats?" the hostess asked politely, smiling at Naruto. For some reason, he felt Sakura clamp onto his hand with an iron grip, radiating what seemed to be killing intent at the poor unsuspecting woman. "Um, or was it a r-reservation? Sir?"

"The latter, please," Sakura said frostily, interrupting Naruto as he was about to speak. The rattled hostess merely nodded as his date listed the required information and departed quickly after showing them to their table. Sakura sighed heavily, draping her coat over the other chair. "Women these days."

Naruto blinked, still wondering why Sakura had gotten so worked up. So… the hostess had smiled at him, which had caused Sakura to hold his hand (something he was sure she wouldn't have done otherwise) and become even more snappy and irritated. Woman angers woman. Hmm…

"Oh! Were you jealous?" he said proudly, smirking as he leaned forward on the table. There was no way Sakura would try and punch him in public, or else—

He muffled a loud curse as something hard connected to his shin, one hand automatically going to the wound to soothe it. Sakura made a small noise across from him, almost like laughter, but when his eyes darted up to see for themselves, her face was expressionless.

"Like hell I was jealous. Who would be jealous of you?"

"That hurts," he whined before smiling genuinely. He promised, "I'll make you fall in love with me." Clearly Sakura wasn't ready to admit her love for him just yet, but once he set his sights on someone, he didn't let go easily.

And once Uzumaki Naruto made a promise, he kept it.

* * *

><p>Haruno Sakura was one possessive woman. Possessive, easily angered, and impulsive.<p>

Still, that was what drew him to her. He (before work had taken over his life, anyway) had been equally fiery, equally untamable when he was younger. It may have taken him many years, but finally—finally, he found someone who matched his intensity. He found someone who would stay by his side because they were alike in ways only they knew how; because in the end, you couldn't tame people, you could only match them flame for flame, kiss for kiss, and burn equally together.

Finally, Naruto had found someone who understood him the way he understood her, and while they still had their (frequent) up and downs, he took pleasure in the fact that he no longer came home to an empty, lonely apartment; instead, Sakura usually had dinner on the table and a kiss for his cheek. Even if their work schedules contrasted greatly, they still found ways to meet up with each other every week.

_It's not because I _want_ it to work, it's not because I _love_ you, it's not because _of_ you._

_It's because it _has_ to work out, it's because I _need_ you, it's because you _are _you._

_You have become my life._

_Have I become yours?_

* * *

><p>"Are you done reminiscing yet, Naruto?"<p>

Something hit him in the back of his head lightly, and an arm draped around his shoulders comfortingly in contrast to her biting words. "Jeez, I swear you go off in your dreamland every few weeks! What do you think about in there anyway? As far as I know, this is completely empty!" A fist knocked on his head.

"Mou, you're so mean! Well, I love you anyway." He turned toward his lover, his best friend, _(my soulmate) _and smiled. "Do you love me?"

"That's a stupid question." She leaned forward, almost brushing their lips together, before pulling back with a taunting smirk on her beautiful face. Short pink hair swished as she turned toward the kitchen, pulling open the freezer door with ease and grabbing something from inside it. "You should know the answer by now, Naruto! Why else do you think I've stuck with you long enough for me to carry our first child? I think you're just insecure about everything."

"Maybe, but it's always nice knowing the person you've loved forever loves you too." He grinned sappily, accepting the popsicle she offered to him. "Happy anniversary."

"Silly, you haven't loved me forever," Haruno Sakura scoffed as she carefully settled down next to her husband in a way that allowed them both to hug their unborn child. She stuck the popsicle absent-mindedly in her mouth, biting off a chunk before saying, "At least now you have your own popsicle so you don't have to go off stealing mine, you thief."

"Hey! Stealing that was what brought us together, if you don't remember." Naruto lifted his wife's pale hand and kissed it, watching her features turn pink enough to match her hair. Sakura obstinately turned her face away, biting off another chunk of her popsicle only to freeze as she found herself staring into Naruto's eyes as he knelt in front of her. They were wide and blue and serious, a hint of a smile curving his lips as he moved toward her mouth—

_Snatch!_

"Thanks for the popsicle, Sakura-chan," he sang as he grabbed the popsicle from her hands.

"_Uzumaki Narutoooo! _Get back here!"

* * *

><p><em>No, you haven't become my life, and I haven't become yours.<em>

_This life is ours to share because we have crafted it together, using emotions and tears and blood and pain and love, using our expressions._

_This life is _our_ forever._

_I am _your_ forever._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So, it was formatted present day, then memory (for a long time) before finally becoming present again (with Sakura and the baby). I hope you enjoyed this one-shot as much as I did, and again, I'm sorry it's much shorter than the NaruHina oneshot… -.-

Dunno when I'll update again, as always. Input from the readers is nice, so review! If you want a pairing I haven't listed, feel free to say so. Maybe I'll feel inclined to write it, if you ask nicely :)

Next pairing is probably either ShikaTem or ShikaIno. Depends if the readers prefer any over the other, but if they don't, I'll just write whichever I feel like… It'll be a surprise!


	3. ShikaIno: Flowers

**Edit: **I said I'll add a SasuSaku chapter at the end, but then I kinda lost the drive for it all. Maybe in the future I'll add a SasuSaku chapter, but for now it's going to remain NaruHina, NaruSaku, and ShikaIno ^^ Thanks for reading!

**A/N: **Sorry for not updating for so long...I kinda ignored this for a while. :) Anyway, I know I said ShikaTem last time but I changed it to ShikaIno. Haha. I hope you'll still enjoy it though, because I put a lot of effort into this dang oneshot (just so you know, my knowledge about flowers and meanings are nonexistent). Many things happened between last update and now- I'll talk more at the bottom. Have fun!

Oh yeah, some KibaHina, Team 7 angst, and other little things I added in between. ^^ At least this oneshot's longer... Although all my oneshots are about 'falling in love' so far. Haha. I plan to change that soon.

**Disclaimer: **I don't profit from Naruto. I dunno about owning it though :3

* * *

><p><span>Flowers<span>

It all started with one brilliant red carnation.

The flower appeared on her doorstep one early, dewy dawn morning, and when Ino opened the shop door to change the 'open' sign, she had found it lying innocuously on her steps.

At first, it had been a simple matter of 'stalker-or-not', and she had taken to verifying every inch of the flower. It indeed was a genuine carnation, something that wasn't grown indigenously in the area; there was no chakra signature on it, which either meant the owner had been very careful or her admirer was a civilian.

Then, after she had noted that the flower wasn't a bomb hidden in disguise, she eagerly called Sakura over. Her pink-haired friend had burst through the door, bell jingling crazily, before running over to Ino. "Did you really get a flower?"

"Yes!" Ino brought the incriminating flower to light, and the glee that lit both girls' faces was almost malicious. "Isn't that so sweet?"

"Is this a carnation?" Sakura gingerly took the flower, pinching it between gloved fingers, and sniffed it. She wrinkled her nose and gave it back.

"It is." Ino gazed fondly down at the flower, blooming delicately against the green stem.

Her friend cleared her throat, peering at the flower a little dubiously. "So, I know red means passion and love and desire and all that—"

"Sakura!"

"—but what does a red carnation mean, hm? True love?" She smirked at Ino's blush.

The blonde quickly set the carnation back down, shaking her head. "Of course not! No admirer would be so stupid to start out by declaring their true love! Love is something that must be won, bit by bit, through courtship and constant care and attention." Her eyes looked starry.

Sakura bit her lip to keep from laughing. "You make it sound like we're living in the olden times, Ino. It's not like that anymore; you want love like that, then you might as well get a dog from the Inuzukas." She brushed her short hair back with a hand, looking somewhat superior. Ino pouted.

"Mou, don't be so mean. A red carnation means admiration, simple as that. They admire me!" She performed a little twirl, purple skirt flaring. Sakura giggled, patting her friend's shoulder.

"Well, keep me updated! I have to begin my training with Tsunade-shishou soon, and you have to open your shop. Tell me if another flower comes, okay?"

"Fine, fine!" Ino called, already bustling to the shop register as the bell rang again, announcing a new customer.

She was careful to tuck her flower in her pocket, where it would remain safe and sound for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>It was another week before the next flower appeared.<p>

Ino yawned, trudging home from a long and tiresome mission. Summer meant nothing to the Hokage, and they were forced to fight through exhausting heat and sweat. She would have to take a long, long, _long _hot shower when she got home to get rid of all the disgusting grime—

Ino stopped in her tracks at the sight of something red and delicate on her doorstep.

She couldn't stop a squeal from passing through her lips before she ran toward the flower, picking it up and rushing inside her house, pain and exhaustion forgotten in the excitement of a new gift. Ino wouldn't admit it to herself, but somewhere deep inside her, she had been secretly hoping for a flower to come by. Each day, she had peeked casually outside (every two hours), but much to her disappointment, nothing came. _Nobody _came. But now, it seemed her never-ending patience had been rewarded!

She brought the flower to her nose and sniffed deeply before exhaling. Ino had always enjoyed the fresh, clean smell of the tulip, and especially after a hot, dirty mission—it was relaxing.

A small smile crept across her lips as she brushed the tulip's petals against her cheek. "Red for love, undying passion, beauty… A red tulip for a declaration of love. Is my admirer trying to make me believe that he truly loves me?" The petals seemed to shiver under her light, careful touch. It was truly a gorgeous flower.

Ino placed the flower in a vase. Her first flower, the carnation, had been meticulously dried and was now hanging directly behind the cash register; soon, the tulip would join it. She sighed in a lovesick way, wondering who it could be that was sending flowers—there was just something that felt special, different, about this admirer. Sure, receiving flowers were no big deal, but she wanted to know almost desperately who her admirer was. If she knew…could she love him too?

Once in her past life, she might've immediately jumped to conclusions and assumed (stupidly) it was Sasuke sending flowers. After all, he had been her and Sakura's crush/battle/rivalry for over five years; it was because of him their friendship had started to crumble. But thanks to his departure to the village not even three months ago, Sakura and Ino had begun to mend, and together they had stepped forward into the future, away from those harmful feelings that still lingered deep inside them like unwashed sins.

She dropped her head lightly against the wall, sighing. Her thoughts had taken a dark turn, and with a startled realization, she noticed that it was already time for the sun to set. Orange light painted streaks across the wall, illuminating the tulip in a rare burst of color. Her breath caught as she noticed how it looked like it was on _fire._

"Beautiful," Ino whispered. Her expression became determined as she felt something bloom within her.

If she was going to keep receiving these flowers, she couldn't be kept in denial any longer. And because of that fact, she would have to assign herself a mission: She would find out who her admirer was, even if it was the death of her!

* * *

><p>"So…this is top-secret, got it?"<p>

The civilians passing by were blissfully ignorant to the hushed whispers erupting from a group of four kunoichis poorly concealed in a bush.

Sakura smiled. "Where do we start, pig?" At Ino's deadly glare, her grin widened. "Hey, I'm doing this for free. I don't have to spend my time searching for your secret admirer, you know."

At this, Ino grudgingly gave in after searing her best friend with another glare. "I don't think it's a civilian, first of all."

"Why not? There was no chakra on it, right?" Tenten queried, hands on her knees and brown eyes innocently wide.

"Still, there's this gut feeling I have that's telling me it's a ninja," Ino muttered, her eyes growing soft and far away. "You know? I feel like there's just something different about this admirer… But I don't know what."

"T-Then, Ino-san, we'll start with interrogating our own teams. Is that okay?" Hinata asked. At Ino's approving nod, the four kunoichis burst from their spots in quick blurs that left leaves swirling in their wake; four teenagers desperate to prove love really did exist. It was something like hope for all of them—a fragile bird, white and unbending, and maybe if they could prove it existed, love would come for them too.

* * *

><p>"What do you know about flowers?" Tenten narrowed her eyes, trying to read the boy in front of her. He ignored her in favor of continuing his fluid dance he liked to call 'training', chakra buzzing from his palms whenever he pretended to hit an enemy dead in the heart.<p>

After a few more moments of being ignored, she stamped her foot on the ground and yelled, "Hyuuga Neji! If you don't stop in three seconds, I swear you'll find yourself pinned to the ground with my latest demon shuriken! And those things are nasty, I tell you!" To make good on her promise, she placed a gloved hand on the scroll belted at her waist, tiny but dangerous.

Neji stopped.

"Good boy," she chirped sweetly. His moonstone eyes were not amused, and he dragged a hand across his glistening forehead wearily. "It's hot outside, Neji. Aren't you going to invite your teammate inside?"

He frowned before gesturing toward the traditional Hyuuga mansion, loosening his long hair from the tie he had been using to hold it back. It fluttered around his face a bit distractingly. "What, Tenten? Do we have another mission coming up already?"

"No, no, no," she fussed, leaving her shoes by the door. He followed suit, leading her to the kitchen and silently offering refreshments that she politely refused. "Do you think life is a mission or something, Neji? I thought Naruto changed you, you know? Didn't you stop thinking about fate and destiny and all that? Live your own life for once!" Tenten flung her arms out, nearly laughing at Neji's 'disgruntled' expression. It was really only a slight lift of his eyebrow and a tiny jut from his lips, but still, it was amusing enough to make her smile.

"Anyway, you haven't answered my question yet." She crossed her arms again, leaning back against the hand-crafted bamboo chair placed neatly against a matching table. The whole room was quiet, white, and orderly, as expected from one of the leading clans in Konoha.

"Which one, if you haven't forgotten the millions you've asked me already?" His tone held just a bit of acid, which Tenten promptly ignored.

"The flowers one!"

"Do I know about flowers?" Neji gave her a look before grabbing a glass from the cabinet and filling it with ice-cold water and gulping it down. After he had swallowed, he eyed her again. "Is this some prank Hinata put you up to? No, she's too nice for that. Ino? Flowers and all." Tenten shook her head, a small smile pulling up at her lips.

"Just tell me anything about flowers. Do you know many types? Their meanings? Shape, category, where they flourish?" she pressed. Neji frowned, appearing to think seriously about her question.

She leaned forward excitedly when he opened his mouth.

"No, I don't know anything about flowers and even if I did, I wouldn't waste my time talking about them when I could be training!" He sighed, beckoning toward the door. "Tenten, if I could show you out?"

Her lips pulled into a pout as she found herself back on the dusty road not ten minutes later after she started out. Of course Neji wouldn't like Ino; he was too uppity for that! Now, that left Lee… A picture of Sakura running from her teammate flashed through her mind, causing Tenten to laugh loudly, attracting several cautious citizens' attention. No, Lee wouldn't like Ino—he was still chasing after Sakura without fail.

So then who could it be?

* * *

><p>"Kiba-kun! Please tell me if you know anything," Hinata said firmly, hands on hips.<p>

Kiba yawned noisily, blinking blearily up at the shadow that blocked the warm, comforting sunlight from reaching his face. Akamaru yipped from his spot next to his master's side before recognizing Hinata's scent and quieting down again. Kiba sat up, ruffling his hair. "What?"

Hinata crouched down, her eyes earnest and serious. After seeing her face, Kiba frowned lightly. This was important to Hinata; she never looked like this unless it was about Naruto, a mission, growing stronger, her father, her friends, or—okay, that was a lot of stuff, but still. She was being serious and so, he should be serious in return!

He made that promise—until she started talking about _flowers _of all things. "You woke me up to talk about flowers?" Kiba asked incredulously, eyes wide. "You're kidding me. Do I look like I know anything about flowers? Sure they smell good and stuff, but still…flowers! No, I don't know anything." He flopped back down and promptly closed his eyes. When Hinata still didn't leave, he cracked open one eyelid hesitantly, immediately feeling bad when he saw the slightly downcast look in her pale eyes. "I'm…sorry? Hey, why don't you try asking Shino? He's got his bugs and everything."

Hinata brightened up, smiling. "That's a good idea! Thank you, Kiba-kun!"

"It's nothing," he mumbled, blushing lightly. The next time he opened his eyes, Hinata was already gone.

She jumped through the trees, scanning for Shino. He wasn't in the village, of that she was sure. So training? Hinata activated the Byakugan, scanning the dense forest for a familiar chakra signature. After about ten minutes of futile (sweaty) searching, she finally found him, surrounded by a thick cloud of buzzing insects.

"Shino-kun!" she called, watching him turn toward her, still in monochromatic colors. Realizing she hadn't deactivated her bloodline yet, she quickly did so and ran the last four steps to her teammate.

"Did you need something?" he asked, bugs zipping back into his sleeves and disappearing completely from sight.

Hinata spoke again, as soon as she caught her breath. The summer sun was really something, especially with her dark hair, even if it was still short. "I—I wanted to know if you knew anything about flowers. The types, meanings?"

He stared impassively at her from behind his hood and sunglasses. Somewhat enviously, she noticed how he wasn't even sweating in the slightest. _How?_ "…you mean, like these wildflowers?" She nodded. "Well, I only know that they're good for my bugs. Why? Because they're a good source of nutrition. Especially this rugged, purple flower—some think it's nightshade, but it's really only a harmless—"

"Ah…Shino-kun, I suddenly remembered I have to do something…" Hinata smiled tentatively before turning tail and darting back into the much-cooler shade of the trees. It was obvious Shino didn't know anything; it was kind of mean, but sometimes talking to Shino disturbed her. Just sometimes.

_Everyone…I hope you had more luck finding Ino's admirer than I did!_

* * *

><p>Sakura wandered aimlessly around.<p>

She didn't exactly _have _any teammates to ask, something she realized right after they had all burst from their hiding spot. Naruto was out training with Jiraiya-sama, having left a mere two months ago. His bright smile and glowing eyes and irrefutable promise still lingered on her heart. And her last boy—her last teammate was still gone, having strayed from their path a long time before Team 7 was even formed. Sasuke, ebony hair and unreadable gaze, her first love, her and Ino's first competition. Sakura smiled bitterly; at least Ino finally had another chance of moving on, if this new admirer was worth it. While she was continually stuck in the past—

Her foot connected with the ground angrily, and she pushed thoughts of Sasuke from her mind. A cloud of dust flew up, momentarily blinding her. She waved her hand around to clear the dirt, coughing, and just as the cloud of dust cleared—she saw a dark hooded figure sneaking into a nearby flower shop.

Now, that instantaneously aroused her suspicion. After all, what person in their right mind would wear a thick black cloak on a day like this? And second of all… something about that slightly hunched, furtive figure just wasn't right. There was something familiar about the person too: was it the way they walked, or maybe the way their pale hand paused just vaguely on the handle of the flower shop? And why that flower shop anyway? Everyone knew that Yamanaka's was the best place for bouquets.

Suspicion firmly aroused, she set her lips in a firm line and marched after the distrustful figure in black.

Ino sighed.

This hunt was like a wild goose chase. They were just going in circles! Chouji knew nothing, (not that she would have thought so) as Ino learned after she had cornered him in the local convenience store.

That left Shikamaru, though she was still highly doubtful he was her admirer. He was hardly ever bothered to _try _anything, much less something so sensitive as leaving flowers with delicate meanings behind. A dreamy look enveloped her again.

"Watch out!" someone shrieked, and the next thing Ino knew, she was sprawled face-first on the floor with a mouthful of dirt.

She jumped to her feet as soon as the person on top of her moved aside, hissing angrily like an annoyed cat. "You should learn to watch where you're going! Don't you see what—Sakura?" Ino's blue, bewildered eyes blinked as she took in the groaning figure lying on the road in front of her, holding her head.

"Ino-pig," Sakura muttered as she shook her head, disoriented. Her gaze connected with Ino's and then something flashed in her eyes, causing her to scramble to her feet. "Hey! Did you see someone pass by? Someone in black, a black cloak?"

"Huh? No. Why? Why would someone wear—hey! Don't ignore me, Forehead!" she yelled after Sakura. Instinctively, her feet propelled her to match Sakura's speed, and she reached out to grab her arm. "What are you talking about?"

"There was someone suspicious earlier!" she called back, evading Ino and twisting her head as she glanced through shop windows and alleyways. Ino huffed.

"That doesn't tell me anything!" A thought suddenly struck her and she stumbled. "Wait! Was it my admirer? Sakura!"

Finally, the pink-haired girl slammed to a stop, shaking her head in defeat as she breathed heavily. "I can't find him anymore thanks to you. I don't know, it could've been your admirer! It was certainly someone familiar but strange, and I don't even know if it was a girl or a guy. They were going into your family's rival flower shop…" she hesitated, realizing how strange her tale sounded. "Well, anyway, they just were strange!" Sakura huffed, shading her eyes as she peered toward the sky. "Wow, it's already so late. You better meet up with them, I have a lesson with Tsunade-shishou in less than ten minutes! If I'm late—" She shuddered and ran off quickly, barely giving Ino a proper goodbye.

The blonde began ambling back toward their meeting spot, aware that she was probably the last one to make it back. Time was the last thing on her mind, however; the black-cloaked figure Sakura saw, who were they? Slightly hunched figure?

A strange picture of Shikamaru popped in her mind, and Ino had to stifle a laugh as she finally caught up with Hinata and Tenten. Pfft, as if Shika, the poor boy, would know anything about flowers! He was never interested in anyone, besides. Maybe the Suna girl, but…

Ino frowned as the thought of Temari and Shikamaru together caused something in her chest to twinge painfully. _What's wrong with me today? _she thought as a small part of her noted that Hinata and Tenten had both come up with misses.

She came back home that day to find no flower on her doorstep, a heavier step than usual, and the strangest feeling that she had missed something right under her nose.

* * *

><p>For a few more (long) days, there was an absence of flowers. Ino tried vainly to figure out who was sending her flowers, but her elusive admirer was will hidden. There were no more sightings of strange black-cloaked people nor did anyone she knew behave out of the ordinary—well, there was Shikamaru being absent on their mission today, but it was because he had to help out with the deer that lived on the land the Nara clan owned.<p>

She pouted as she checked one last time on the doorstep. No flower. Maybe she should leave a note, then? Asking her secret admirer if he would be so kind as to show him her face? She deserved to know, right? But then someone else might come by and mistake it for them…

Ino shook her head, swinging the sign on the door to 'closed', and pulled off the apron that she had haphazardly tied around her waist. It had been a busy day, not including the tiny D-rank mission they had been forced to do. She moved through the shop quietly, soft orange light bathing the store and illuminating the shadows. It was while she was pausing to smell a bunch of brilliant orange lilies _(meaning disdain, hatred, pride) _that she heard a soft rapping on the door, barely audible to anyone who wasn't trained as a shinobi. Instantly, she was flying to the door, heart pounding away in her throat. Her hand trembled as she wavered between opening the door and hiding; finally, in a burst of courage, she threw it open.

Of course, by then, it was too late.

Her eyes softened as she saw the glowing blossom fluttering, straining against the wind. "Beautiful," she breathed, holding it up. It was the prettiest bloom yet, ephemeral but stubbornly gorgeous.

"A camellia, a red camellia," Ino identified the flower, feeling a winding blush crawl across her cheeks. _Meaning excellence, perfection. Red, meaning energy, passion, rage, courage… _Determination burned inside her. She would find this mystery person no matter what! To meet him, to thank him. She sucked in a breath, releasing it in a truly magnificent yell. "Please! Wherever you are! Tell me who you are, please! I promise I won't hate you! Just tell me who you are…"

As if in reply to her pleading call, something rustled on the ground near her feet. Frowning, Ino picked up the sheet of paper that had before been anchored in place by a small crystal.

On it was scrawled in nearly illegible handwriting, _"In answer to your pleas, I will grant you one hour. One hour, you may try and guess who I am; if you cannot guess it right, I will have to disappear for our sake. Meet me in the training grounds tomorrow at seven o'clock, night." _

She crumpled the paper in her hand, eyes burning. "I will! I promise!" she uttered once more into the empty street, as if her admirer was still lingering around, listening.

The door creaked open behind her. "Really, Ino? What have you been yelling on about now?" came the exasperated sigh of her mother. "Your father and I are ready to have dinner. Come in, wash up now, dear."

"Yes," Ino replied absent-mindedly, casting one last look at the vacant street. Just as she was stepping back into the shop, a crumpled white note in one hand and a brilliant crimson camellia in the other, something seemed to appear at the corner of her eye, black and long as a shadow. When her head whipped around to identify the strange object _(person)_, they were gone.

"Tomorrow," she whispered. "I promise to find out who you are, tomorrow."

* * *

><p>"How in the <em>world <em>am I supposed to guess who he is?"

Ino's wail could be heard clearly over the din of the restaurant, yet none of its patrons paid her any mind. It was just another lovesick, forlorn girl complaining to her friends in the corner booth—yet there was something different about this case, this time.

She shoveled vegetables and rice into her mouth furiously, brain spinning in circles as she desperately sought clues to corner her elusive admirer. Why couldn't she have a normal boy who didn't care if she knew who he was or not? Why all the mystery? At least one thing was clear; he was a shinobi, and a clever one at that, because no civilian could find such beautiful flowers with their hidden meanings and leave such daring hints. Ino swallowed and sighed, blue eyes fluttering dreamily only to snap awake as Sakura hit her sharply across the head with her chopsticks.

"So! Ino, we've been called here on your behalf yet again. Why don't you start by explaining to us all everything you know about him?"

Ino gave her a flat look. "If I knew anything about him, I wouldn't need you, now would I?"

Hinata laughed softly from across her, Tenten joining in a second later. "You two never cease to amuse me," she giggled, shaking her head and snatching some grilled pork. "Let's see, you have a little over an hour to get to the training grounds. Why not ask him—oh yes, ask him questions and see if he answers!"

"The note said 'guess _who _I am', not 'guess _clues_ about me'! There's no guarantee he'll answer," Ino complained, throwing herself back in her chair. "Basically, I'm doomed." Despair swirled within her, mingling with disappointment. She really did want to know who her admirer was, but if he deemed that she was too stupid to figure out who he was…

"Well, do you know if you'll see him, or will he be hidden? He probably won't show his face anyway if he wants you to guess who he is." Sakura said reasonably.

"That's the problem!" Ino groaned. "If I can't even see him—well, he has to talk at least, right? Maybe I'll know his voice? Besides, if I didn't know who he was or if I couldn't even see him, what if he's some hideously ugly brute? Maybe I wouldn't even want to date him after all!" She sniffed, finishing off her rice with one last huge bite. Sakura patted her lightly on her back.

"You're assuming, Ino-pig, that he'll want to date _you. _What if it's just a big hoax he was dared to do?" Her words were clearly meant to be a joke, but Ino gasped.

"What if you're _right_, Forehead?" she shrieked, grabbing onto the front of Sakura's dress. "What if—"

Tenten reached over and pried her hand off of the fabric, staring into her eyes seriously. "Ino. It's okay. He's doing this because he likes you; who else would go through so much trouble? Believe in yourself!"

Ino paused, blinking. Then her lips melted into a soft smile, and she took a deep breath. "Thank you, Tenten—no, thank you, everyone. You've all been a great help. I know what I'll do now!" She stood up, nearly knocking back her chair as she bolted toward the entrance, excitement taking place of the despair. "I'll get through this! You'll see!"

Her friends watched in mild bemusement before Hinata broke the silence.

"Did she have a plan?"

"Who knows." Sakura laughed, shaking her head. "That's classic Ino for you."

* * *

><p>Ino squared her shoulders, eyes facing directly ahead as she breathed like she was about to march into a death trap. Nervousness and anxiety ate away at her, and she found herself lingering along the borders of the training grounds unwillingly. She could sense no chakra, except those of a few squirrels, so was he not here? Or was he not coming at all?<p>

The thought that she might have been duped made her curl her fists angrily and stride forward, blonde ponytail snapping as she scanned left and right. The area was clear and grassy, blowing softly in the light twilight breeze. The sun had dipped down over the tree-line, painting the sky a refreshing, majestic purple and highlighting the shadows laid before her. All was quiet—but most importantly, it wasn't empty.

A dark, cloaked shadow emerged from one of the trees far across the clearing, and Ino halted instinctively with still fifty feet of space between them. He was a dark blur, blending directly into the shadows like he was one of them. His head was bowed, and Ino lifted her chin imperiously.

"When will our little game start, may I ask?" she called loudly, making sure her voice carried across the training grounds. If her admirer wasn't willing to accept the fact that she was outspoken and sometimes stubborn and a little overbearing, who was she to make him stay?

The shadow shifted just slightly, and a pale hand emerged from a sleeve. A split second later, a kunai _snicked _onto the ground in front of her, a pale note fluttering from its iron handle. She picked it up gracefully, smoothing the wrinkled paper. On it was printed in now nondescript handwriting: _Any time you wish. The clock begins now._

Ino smirked. "Fine then. May I ask questions? Or more accurately, will you answer them?"

The shadow waved a hand, shuffling forward a little. Ino took it as a maybe. _Fine then, _she thought, also taking a step forward, _how will I put this? What will I ask first? If I can just get close to him and see his face or make him talk, I'll probably know who he is… or! _She straightened as a sudden idea hit her. _I could use my special jutsu and transfer our minds… but that's cheating… _Ino deflated slightly. _Oh well! I have to stop thinking. Trust my instincts, my instincts…_

"Do I know you?"

At first, she feared he wouldn't answer. His black-covered body had gone still, and his head had cocked slightly to the side. Ino waited with bated breath, willing him to answer—just answer this one—

Something else landed in front of her, and for a second, she didn't realize what it was. Long, skinny, blooming at the end: it was a flower. Blue tinged and bleeding white, she picked it up with wonder, immediately identifying it as an iris. _Meaning faith, thanks for friendship. _So I know this person, and they even consider me as their friend.

"Have you loved me long?" she wondered, eyes bright. Something had burst within her, glowing and warm. The shadow's hand wavered again before flipping into the air. Another flower landed before her.

This time it was a yellow acacia _(concealed love). _A blush flitted lightly over her cheeks, and she clutched both flowers tightly in her hand. Now that she had started this mad game, she must finish it, and questions bubbled insistently behind her tongue, battling to be spoken first. The next few moments, seconds, minutes, passed in blurs. Before she knew it, the sun had sunken even more and her mystery admirer held up ten fingers. Ten minutes left, and Ino was still no closer to finding out who her admirer was. Sure it was easy asking him things, like if she had seen him before (a nod of his cloaked head) or if she had talked to him (another nod) or if she saw him a daily basis. A shrug. If she knew him, if she liked him, if she was familiar with him—if he loved her.

He had vacillated for one long minute (_counted by the pounding beats of her heart, as Sakura's mocking words rang over and over in her head: "What if it's just a big hoax…? A hoax a hoax a hoax…"_) before tossing something resignedly in the air, shaking his head in an exasperated manner Ino would have known very well had she been paying attention. But no, her concentration had only been on the glittering arc of the flower being tossed to her, and she had caught it neatly in her hands with baited breath.

Tears had sprung into her eyes. In her hands was a cluster of heliotrope, purple and small.

_Eternal love._

All that had accumulated to now. Her breath was continuously short and she seemed to have difficulty seeing clearly; if she had doubted this person's love for her before…it was nothing compared to now, when she was blinded by faith. If only fate would be so kind as let her get one thing right. The only thing that mattered.

"Please…" she cried, reaching forward with one hand to the unmoving shadow. "Help me. If you love me—help me. Help us, what we could be. Help me, please…"

The shadow seemed to heave a sigh, motioning her to come even closer with one hand. There was hardly ten feet between them now, as Ino had gravitated toward him during their short _(long) _interview. A note flew through the air, tied to a flower. She blinked as she saw the fragile unmistakable petals of a water lily, something that was never found in the Land of Fire. Maybe in Kirigakure, but definitely not here.

Her admirer waved his hand impatiently, indicating for her to read. Ino nodded hastily and, setting aside her thoughts for later, quickly tore open the note.

_Lily means truth. Do you want to hear our story?_

"Of course I do!" she exclaimed, turning big pleading eyes on him. The shadow made another frustrated noise and reached into his cloak, withdrawing a large bundle of flowers. Then, in quick succession, he tossed them at her one at a time.

_This is our story._

The first flower was a blue periwinkle. Ino blinked before realizing she had to translate them in order to understand _(this is our own language). _"Oh! So… beginning of friendship?"

The shadow flipped another flower at her.

"Poinsettia," she murmured, cupping the pale pink flower, "meaning always cheerful. So I was cheerful around you…" Next was a white rosebud. "Girlhood? We were young when we knew each other?"

In reply, her admirer gave her another blossom. Ino picked it up. "Gardenia; secret admiration and love. You began to fall in love with me. Then—geranium?" Her face screwed up in confusion. "Comfort…_stupidity_? Are you saying I was stupid? I'm not an idiot!" The shadow gave a short, raspy laugh at Ino's offended look. "So I didn't recognize you. Then tell me who you are!"

Another flower landed neatly in her hands. "Fuchsia. Confiding love; you told someone?" He nodded, causing something like jealousy to burn through her. "Why?" She caught another flower. "Anemone…anticipation. Flowering almond, hope. Oh…you wanted me to know." A small smile lit up her face before sadness dragged it down again. "I'm sorry! I wish I had caught on sooner, that I wasn't so oblivious! I'm sorry—"

There were two flowers left in his hand. Ino watched as he gently stepped forward and pressed the small, fuzzy, weed-looking one into her hands. Tears blurred her vision and rolled down as she identified the flower. "Alliums…patience. If you'll wait for me forever—why the ultimatum? No, I shouldn't think like that. I should guess who you are, I should know who you are, because to me you feel like part of me! So..." _Who are you?_

Her admirer cocked his hooded head to the side and presented the last flower to her. Ino sniffled and wiped her cheeks as she took it.

"A-amaranth?" she squeaked. Her face glowed red again. "Immortal love. You really do love me, don't you…" A name was on the tip of her tongue, and before she knew it, the name had slipped out into the air. "…Shikamaru?"

Both people froze; Ino in confusion, the shadow in what looked to be shock. Then, after a long moment, her admirer broke into chuckles. Real, honest to god, chuckles—and Ino knew. She knew.

"You really _are _Shikamaru? Are you?" She rushed forward, pushing back the hood—only, he wouldn't let her. His hand gripped her wrists in a surprisingly tight hold as his other hand fumbled in his cloak. Finally, they withdrew a last flower, crumpled and slightly bent. Ino froze as she saw it, realizing what it was; his hand left her wrists. It was choice: to reveal his face and accept the flower meant to accept her fate, her destiny, their bond, but to shun him and turn back now because of the flower in his hands was to be alone forever.

Did he really think she was such an idiot?

"You moron!" Ino flew toward him, hugging her teammate. Her friend. Her…what was he now? "As if I would give you up, when I've had you all along." She smiled into the dark fabric of his cloak and plucked the flower from his hands. "A pink and white rose. Thank you, Shikamaru."

Her hands gently folded the hood away from his face, revealing the familiar apathetic features. Even now, he didn't change. It was somewhat ironic, and Ino would have been highly offended if not for the light pink dusting his cheeks. She took hold of his hands and pressed the flower signaling their bond together between their palms.

"I promise to love you still and love you forever too," she murmured. His lips curved up slightly, and they stayed like that for a moment longer.

Then Ino broke the sweet silence by smacking Shikamaru hard on the head. "You really are a huge idiot! See, this is a result of being so antisocial! You didn't know how to express your feelings, and instead had to go through this elaborate thing! You could have hurt us, you know," she accused, hands on hips. "I thought you were the genius one too. Shikamaru, are you even listening?"

"And I thought you liked this kind of stuff, Ino," he finally said, speaking for the first time that night. His voice was so memorable, so familiar, it was strange hearing it as the voice of someone that liked her. That she liked. "Besides, I wouldn't know anything about flowers. It was all Kurenai-sensei."

"Kurenai?" Ino blinked, recalling Hinata's beautiful sensei. "How does Kurenai-sensei know about this?"

Shikamaru (reluctantly) launched into his tale of how one day over shogi, he had accidentally spilled to Asuma he liked her (in a roundabout way). The next day, Kurenai had paid him a visit, smiling eerily and a pad of paper in her hand. She had (forcibly) made him come up with ideas to confess; the best one had been the flowers one. Kurenai had promised to help him as much as she could, and had left. An hour later, a red carnation appeared on his door along with a list of names and meanings.

"I'll have to thank her next time," Ino said. She and Shikamaru stared at each other a little awkwardly, suddenly aware of the emptiness around them. The sun had long since gone down, drenching them in the cool embrace of night.

"Ne, Shika…I really am sorry for being so dense." Her head lowered.

"…It's okay. I promised to love you forever and ever, didn't I?" The last part was muttered so quietly Ino barely heard it, yet glee erupted inside her as her mind deciphered the words. Thank god her subconscious had picked out the fact that it was Shikamaru long before her own mind had processed the information. Otherwise she wouldn't feel as happy as she was now.

Ino latched onto his arm. His tired sigh was more fond now than exasperated, and she looked up at him coyly, slight depression forgotten.

"So. Since we're dating now, right? I figured it was only appropriate for you treat me to dinner. It'll be our first date! Preferably somewhere with flowers."

"What—?"

"Come on, now! Time's wasting, Shikamaru!"

"Ino!"

* * *

><p>Years later, they would celebrate the anniversary by giving each other one flower. The symbolization changed every time, but the true meaning never would.<p>

_I loved you in the past and I love you in the present. The future is ours forever._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Was it a nice ending?

So, there's a reason after all I didn't update after all...mainly I was too obsessed with Kuroshitsuji for a long time :) The anime was so sad at the end! Well, there's always the manga I suppose. (I LOVE SEBBY'S VOICE! *fangirls like Grell*)

Next oneshot: SasuSaku! Hopefully out sooner than this one!

Please review!


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